Young women are turning a bizarre social eating trend into a lucrative career by filming themselves scoffing on enough food to feed a family in one sitting.
Many are making a fortune online, with some earning more than $10,000 a month from their YouTube channels for streaming themselves eating for hours a day.
And now Australian women have joined the bizarre Korean craze called ‘mukbang’ – which involves talking and binge-eating on fast food in front of the camera.
Tannar Eacott, 23, has raked up more than 500,000 views on a 20-minute video of her eating a KFC burger, potato fries, chicken nuggets, tenders, drumstick, popcorn chicken, and potato and gravy.
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Australian YouTube star Tannar Eacott, 23, (pictured) has raked up more than 500,000 views on her 20-minute video of her eating a KFC burger, potato fries, chicken nuggets, tenders, drumstick, popcorn chicken, and potato and gravy
Tannar made another video with her friend Grace Watkins in November last year where they took up the challenge of indulging in burgers, fried chicken and fries
‘Is it weird to say food turns me on?’ she said in her YouTube video.
The young Australian photographer – who has more than 290,000 subscribers – talks about herself and why she loves food during her eating marathon.
‘Food is everything,’ she said.
However, Tannar, who hails from Gosford in New South Wales, struggled to finish her plate of food in the video.
‘I feel like for a small person, I’ve done okay,’ she said.
‘This food isn’t going to waste, I’m putting it in the fridge, I’m eating it at dinner… I just want to apologise to the girls at KFC, I’ve given it my best go, I don’t know how much more I can fit in. I’m feeling very defeated.
‘I’ve had three nuggets, a whole thing of popcorn chicken, a few chips, a few bites of drumstick, half a burger, one tender. Girl is full… I regret nothing.’
Tannar is one of hundreds of thousands of people who joined the sweeping social eating trend which sees foodies eat alone in their home in front of the camera.
The bizarre eating trend originated in Korean, which sees women gorge on large portions of food in one sitting for hours in front of the camera – as thousands of people tune in to watch
Korean women usually spend hours at a time stationed in front of a webcam while they consume food that could feed an entire family – in one sitting
The term ‘mukbang’ originated from the South Korean word ‘meok-bang’ which means ‘broadcast eating’.
They usually spend hours at a time stationed in front of a webcam while they consume food that could feed an entire family – in one sitting.
The money is usually generated from advertisements, donations from fans, and corporate sponsors.
Dishes range from spicy noodles, pizzas, burgers, fried chicken, seafood and even fast food meals.
In 2014, Seoul woman Park Seo-yeon quit her day job so she could focus all her time on live streaming herself gorging on large portions of food in her flat.
She was earning more than $10,000 a month from advertising and donations – as tens of thousands of people tuned in to watch her eat.
Canadian woman Veronica Wang (pictured) has more than 1.2 million subscribers who follow her eating journey
Another Australian woman Bianca Galea (pictured) also filmed herself eating McDonald’s
In 2015, it was reported Korean woman, known as ‘BJ Fitness Fairy’, earned up to $4,000 a week for broadcasting her nightly dinner binge.
She previously revealed she exercises five hours a day to maintain her svelte figure.
An investigation by Dateline revealed the trend was not simply a money making venture but may be a symptom of widespread loneliness.
Champ Yang, a mukbang enthusiast, said an economic decline and a rise in unemployment has meant many young South Koreans have found themselves living, cooking and eating alone.
‘In single homes, single households, they have to cook by themselves, so they feel lonely sometimes,’ he told Dateline in 2015.
‘When they watch cookbang and mukbang, they feel comforted. Food is a kind of escape from real life. That food is healing for us.’
Tannar – who has more than 290,000 subscribers – talks about herself and why she loves food during her eating marathon
US woman Kim Thai (pictured) has dedicated her YouTube channel to creating mukbang videos where she films herself eating a variety of foods from all over the world
US woman Kim Thai has dedicated her YouTube channel to creating mukbang videos where she films herself eating different foods from all over the world.
‘If you’re a food lover like I am then you are in the right place,’ Kim said.
‘I’m excited to share with you a variety of different foods from all over the world in my videos – whether we are cooking or enjoying a meal together.
‘I’m really happy to be sharing how I make and indulge in my favorite dishes, now you will always have a friend to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner with.
‘This channel is a place filled with positivity, please always remember to be respectful and kind to one another as we share our love, appreciation and culture through food.’